[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=\u00bb.vc_custom_1726218186906{margin-top: 0px !important;}\u00bb]The practice of curing jam\u00f3n is deeply rooted and widespread in southeastern Europe. Both France and Portugal have their own products that result from this method of preserving fresh meat, but without a doubt, Italy and Spain are the leading representatives of cured jam\u00f3n across the globe.<\/p>\n
At first glance, there are many similarities between these products: Bayonne jam\u00f3n, Portuguese presunto, Italian prosciutto, and Spanish cured jam\u00f3n (whether from white pigs or Iberian pigs). All of them originated from the need to preserve meat during times when modern refrigeration systems did not exist. While they all come from the hind legs of pigs and undergo a salting and curing process, the final product has notable differences that make each one unique.<\/p>\n
In today\u2019s post, we will explore some of the differences (and more than a few similarities) between Spanish jam\u00f3n and Italian prosciutto\u2014the two great jamones of the world.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=\u00bb2912″ img_size=\u00bbfull\u00bb css=\u00bb.vc_custom_1643795338144{margin-top: 20px !important;}\u00bb][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=\u00bb.vc_custom_1726218197554{margin-top: 20px !important;}\u00bb]Let\u2019s Start with the Name<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s quite curious that, despite both languages (Italian and Spanish) coming from the same root, we use such different terms to describe a product that is so similar.<\/p>\n The Italians use the word prosciutto, which comes from the Latin term perexsuctum<\/em>, literally meaning \u00abdried,\u00bb and which led to the modern Italian word prosciugare<\/em> (\u00abto dry well\u00bb). On the other hand, the word jam\u00f3n doesn\u2019t refer to a characteristic of the product but rather to the part of the pig it comes from\u2014the leg. Jam\u00f3n<\/em> originally derives from the Greek word kamp\u00e9<\/em>, which referred to the curvature of a limb, later evolving into the Latin term camba<\/em> and subsequently into gamba<\/em> (leg in Italian). In French, gamba<\/em> transformed into jambe<\/em>, and from French Romance, it made its way to Spain, first as jambon<\/em> before finally becoming jam\u00f3n<\/em> in the 14th century.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=\u00bb.vc_custom_1726218210820{margin-top: 20px !important;}\u00bb]The Raw Material<\/strong><\/p>\n Italian prosciutto is always made from selected white pig breeds, whether it\u2019s from Parma, Modena, or San Daniele. However, in Spain, we have two main types of jam\u00f3n: the famous Iberian jam\u00f3n and white pork jam\u00f3n.<\/p>\n Iberian jam\u00f3n jam\u00f3n comes from a native breed of our peninsula, and although it shares the same species (Sus scrofa domestica) with the white pig, they are quite different. The Iberian pig has more fat and higher levels of myoglobin, which gives its jam\u00f3n a unique, intense, and delicious flavor. Meanwhile, white pork jam\u00f3n encompasses the rest of the jamones produced in Spain, from cured jam\u00f3n to serrano jam\u00f3n, including Trev\u00e9lez jam\u00f3n and the exquisite Teruel PDO jam\u00f3n.<\/p>\n Thus, if we consider the raw material, prosciutto would be more similar to serrano jam\u00f3n or Teruel jam\u00f3n than to Iberian jam\u00f3n.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=\u00bb.vc_custom_1726218222195{margin-top: 20px !important;}\u00bb]Appearance<\/strong><\/p>\n In Italy, as in Spain, there are jamones that retain the hoof and those that do not. For example, Parma jam\u00f3n does not have the hoof, while San Daniele jam\u00f3n does, similar to most white pork jamones produced in Spain, which usually keep it, compared to those made in the north, where it\u2019s traditionally removed.<\/p>\n However, one key distinction in prosciutto that is not seen in Spanish jam\u00f3n is the partial deboning of the fresh leg. In Italy, the coxal bone is removed, significantly altering the appearance of the piece and exposing the femur head, making it notably different from Spanish jam\u00f3n. Additionally, the lean part of prosciutto is often covered with a mixture called suino, made of salt, pepper, lard, and sometimes a bit of ground rice, giving it a very distinctive look. In Spain, sa\u00edn (the fat attached to the pig\u2019s kidneys) and sunflower oil are generally used to hydrate and protect the pieces.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=\u00bb.vc_custom_1726218234570{margin-top: 20px !important;}\u00bb]Production<\/strong><\/p>\n On a broad level, the production process is quite similar. Starting with fresh meat, salt is applied for a few days, the jam\u00f3n is washed, and then it is left to cure for some time. Perhaps the most significant difference is that, although prosciutto spends more time in salt, the amount of salt applied is lower\u2014just enough to prevent spoilage and maintain a mild, almost sweet flavor.<\/p>\n Spanish jam\u00f3n is literally buried in salt for a few days, which may explain why its flavor is stronger and more intense than that of Italian jam\u00f3n. Moreover, during the curing months, Spanish jam\u00f3n reaches higher temperatures in the drying room, allowing the fat to melt and integrate into the lean meat, giving it an extra punch that prosciutto lacks.<\/p>\n As for curing time, the difference isn\u2019t drastic. For example, Teruel jam\u00f3n (as a comparable reference in terms of raw material) requires a minimum curing period of 14 months, compared to Parma jamones 12 months, although in both cases, many pieces reach 24 or even 30 months of curing. However, the slightly higher weight of the fresh pieces (an average of 15 kilograms for Parma jam\u00f3n compared to 13 kilograms for Teruel jam\u00f3n) means that Parma jam\u00f3n is generally more tender than Spanish jam\u00f3n, given the similar curing time.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=\u00bb.vc_custom_1726218252986{margin-top: 20px !important;}\u00bb]Flavor<\/strong><\/p>\n Leaving Iberian jam\u00f3n aside, since comparing two products made from different raw materials doesn\u2019t seem logical, we must say that there isn\u2019t a huge difference between Italian jamones and Spanish jamones. While it\u2019s true that Spanish jam\u00f3n is more intense, less juicy, and has a stronger cured flavor, there are jamones like our beloved Teruel jam\u00f3n that, due to its production characteristics, resemble prosciutto more than other, saltier jamones.<\/p>\n Teruel jam\u00f3n is also characterized by its low salt content, its delicacy on the palate, and its juiciness, combined with the distinctive cured flavor of Spanish jamones.<\/p>\n Our intention is not to categorize these products. As jam\u00f3n artisans, we love that these traditional products remain deeply rooted in their regions and are part of each area’s cultural identity. All of them are magnificent products as long as they are made well. So, if you haven\u2019t yet tried a good prosciutto or a good Spanish jam\u00f3n, it\u2019s time to do so.[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=\u00bbsandy_brown\u00bb border_width=\u00bb2″ css=\u00bb.vc_custom_1643790835521{margin-top: 20px !important;}\u00bb][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=\u00bb.vc_custom_1726218186906{margin-top: 0px !important;}\u00bb]The practice of curing jam\u00f3n is deeply rooted and widespread in southeastern Europe. Both France and Portugal have their own products that result from this method of preserving fresh meat, but without a doubt, Italy and Spain are the leading representatives of cured jam\u00f3n across the globe. At first glance, there are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2912,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[109],"tags":[313],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4430"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4430"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4430\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4431,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4430\/revisions\/4431"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laestrelladeljamon.es\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}